The Enemy Within
by purehalo
Summary: Ethan's team have only two days to stop a terrorist from releasing a chemical weapon. But with Brandt suffering from the effects of a drug, it's going to be a harder mission than any of them thought.
1. Chapter 1

Hey guys, thank you so much for your response to my first M:I4 story! As a thank you i bring another , slightly longer story of the Brandt/Whumpage kind.

Before we begin, just wanna say i have absolutely no medical knowledge and this is all made up.

Disclaimer: M:I4 ain't mine. But if Brandt comes up for auction i'll bid everything i own.

And without further delay, here we go...

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><p>The drug wasn't meant to kill, killing a team member resulted in vengeance fed by intense motivation that would lead to inevitable failure on the part of the initial attacker. No, its main task was to disable, render the team off balance and through their worry and concern for a colleague they would be distracted enough to be inconsequential..<p>

Use their strength against them.

The first burn of the drug entering his system was overshadowed by the rush of adrenalin from the fight he was currently engaged in. A swift punch to the gut followed by a jab to the jaw kept his opponent off balance. It wasn't until the larger man snuck in a strike to the side of his head that he let down his guard for a second. One small second. His vision swam and up became down for one, small second. Time enough for the needle to pierce the muscle of his neck and the liquid inside to flow deep beneath his skin. The surprise registered only as a raise of his eyebrows, and then his fists took over. His assailant stumbled back as blow after flow struck his head, solar plexus, ribs. Each blow lessening as the drug began to settle itself within the confines of his body. He made one final grab at the bigger man, his hand reaching up and around the man's collar. He hung on for a few seconds before being knocked back by a blow to his ribs. The larger man smiled through bloodied teeth and broken lips, ruthless and shark like as he stood to his full height. He knew full well that the smaller, younger man was succumbing. The urge to wrap his large hands around the throat of the other man was great, but the fear of the reprisal if he ruined his part of the plan, was greater.

He stood back and spread his arms, taunting the other man to continue the attack. They both stood, one gloating, the other slightly hunched and unsure of what was happening. The basement their fight had started in glistened with disturbed, ages old, dust and flecks of moisture from the sweat of their exertion. That smile again, predatory and knowing, sending the other man even more off balance as the fear of what was happening took the place of the adrenalin rush from the fight. The door to the basement burst open and a rush of feet descended the stairs. The larger man barely glanced up, he gave a wink and turned, kicking open the door behind him that lead to a second room with its own set of stairs and a door to freedom.

Ethan Hunt skipped the last five steps at the bottom of the stair case as he saw their target turn and flee. He shouted at his team mate to follow. Stopped as he realised the other man wasn't going anywhere. Ethan frowned, his head tilting slightly to the left. Brandt looked up at him, his face a mixture of confusion and fear. His hand reached up to a sore point on his neck, came away slightly bloody. Opening his mouth to speak he found he had no air, his knees gave way and he sank downward, unaware of the hands that caught him and slowed his descent to the cold, hard, unforgiving concrete of the basement floor.

Benji almost fell as he jumped down the stairs, he glanced at Ethan, then at Brandt, unconscious in his arms.

"What the hell?"

"Benji, stay with him, I'm going after Dabek." Ethan paused for a second before taking off through the second door. Benji looked down at his fallen friend, he was pale but breathing. Gently the agent ran his hands over Brandt's head, feeling for any tell tale signs of a concussion, head injury, anything that would explain why he'd passed out. Finding nothing he continued down to Brandt's torso, checking for bleeding wounds or broken ribs. Still nothing. Aside from a few red marks beginning to show from the fight there was nothing that indicated severe injury. Benji gently raised Will's eyelids and frowned as the pupils reacted sluggishly. Even in the dim light of the basement there should have been quicker movement.

"Will? Come on now. Time to wakey wakey." He emphasised his request with gentle taps to Will's cheeks. On the third , not quite so gentle, tap he got the response he was looking for.

"Stop it." Whispered and broken sounding, but just what Benji needed to here.

"Ah hah, there you are. Knew you were in there somewhere. You ok?"

"I don't know, am I?" Brandt had yet to open his eyes. He tried to swallow but a pain in the side of his neck stopped him short. He had a vague memory of something happening during the fight. Something he should be remembering. He frowned at his brain's lack of co-operation. He swallowed again and frowned as the pain in his neck registered more clearly. His hand reached up to seek out the source of the discomfort only to be stopped by Benji. The English agent gently pushed Will's hand back down and carefully moved his head to the side, leaning forward he wiped away some of the dust and grime that had been left from the fight, revealing bruising around a small spot of blood.

"What the?"

"He…. there was….. god I wish I could remember."

"Looks like a puncture wound."

Brandt's eyes opened at that. "He injected something?"

"What?" Benji sat back on his haunches. He glanced around the floor, his eyes coming to rest on a small syringe sitting discarded in the corner of the room. "Oh crap!" He exclaimed as he pocketed the syringe.

"He did inject something." Will breathed out as a wave of drowsiness swept over him.

"Hey, no no, you stay awake. You hear me?" Benji scooted behind Will and lifted his head into his lap. "Stay awake. We're gonna get you to a hospital but you HAVE TO STAY AWAKE."

"Only if you promise not to shout."

"Deal.."

"Where'd Dabek go?" Will tried to look around the room but gave up as the walls tilted. He swallowed down the nausea that had crept over him.

"Out the other door, Ethan went after him. Jane's on that side of the building so hopefully Dabek ran right into her. Open you eyes."

"They are."

"Right, sure, because you are superman and can see through your eyelids."

"That's sweet. You think I'd superman."

"You know that's not what I meant. Come on, you have to tell me what happened."

Will took a breath and risked looking up at Benji, when the world didn't spin he breathed out and nodded as he began speaking. "I followed Dabek in here after he knocked Ethan into the wall, we were fighting, then, I don't know, I just felt weird. I think he got me in the neck."

"He did. What did it feel like?"

"Fine at first, then like a burn."

"I'm sure its just some sort of sedative. We'll get you to the hospital and back to your usual helpful self in no time." Benji hoped the worry in his heart hadn't bled through into his tone.

"Yeah."

"Open your eyes."

"They are."

"No Brandt, they're not." Ethan's voice, in both its loudness and proximity caused his eyes to pop wide open. Will looked up to see both Ethan and Jane leaning over him. Benji patted his head before the three helped him to his feet. Benji and Ethan steadying him as the floor tilted and his legs threatened to give way.

"You get him?" Will asked as the three followed Jane back up out of the building and to the waiting car.

"No. For a big guy he's surprisingly agile."

"Doesn't matter."

"Why's that?" Asked Jane as she held the door open for Ethan to gently deposit Will into the back seat.

"Put a tracker on him during the fight."

"You what?" Jane paused, looking from Ethan to Benji. Benji shook his head in admiration. Ethan grinned as he lifted Will's legs into the car.

"What made you think you needed to track him?" He already knew the answer, but just needed to hear it out loud..

"Knew I wasn't going to win. Started to feel funny." Will's eyes had slid shut as he spoke.

"Will?" Ethan shook the younger man but was rewarded with nothing but his steady, slow breathing. At least that was something. Ethan turned as Benji pressed the tracker into his palm. He nodded, his concern matching that of his team mates.

"Benji, you and Jane get him to the hospital. God knows what he's been injected with but if they wanted him dead he would be, so I can only guess this is to slow us down."

"I've got the syringe so if the doctors here in Prague don't know, I can send a sample to our guys."

"Good work. Keep an eye out at the hospital, Dabek was just one of many." Ethan switched on the small screen and turned in a circle, the signal caught as he turned south down the street. The beep sounded strong , Dabek hadn't got as far as he'd probably hoped.

"Ethan, be careful." Said Jane as he turned to follow the signal.

Ethan nodded. "See you at the hospital.

TBC

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><p><em>Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to hit that little review button right there.<em>


	2. Chapter 2

You guys are so great ! Thank you for so much !

Just to reiterate, i have nooooo medical knowledge, its all made up (including the name of the drug)

Without further delay, on with the show...

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><p>Ethan slowed to a jog as he rounded the third corner behind the blinking light on the screen. Dabek was making his way toward the river, probably had a safe house or another means of escape there. With any luck the target would lead Ethan direct to Crukov. The man was gaining in both power and notoriety and although having been on the IMF watch list for the past few years, thanks to recent activity, had made his way all the way up to the number one spot. Ethan's team had been tasked with finding him, and taking him out by any means necessary. For a man who'd come up in the ranks of a local crime syndicate, mainly dealing in human trafficking and drugs, in the last year he'd got his hands on four vials of chemical weapons. Intel suggested his targets were to be embassy engagements in both the Czech Republic and Russia. Two places to be visited by government dignitaries from some of the most powerful countries within the coming month. Ethan's mission, his teams mission, was simple.<p>

Stop Crukov.

If the man even left his home without one of the many bodyguards he'd recruited then the task would have been an easy one. If the man kept all the chemical weapons in one easy to find place, then the task would have been an easy one. But as Brandt had pointed out, when was it ever easy?

Their team had tracked a known associate of Crukov's to a building in the centre of Prague. The tall, impressive building had stood in the city for hundreds of years. Its architecture spectacular and intricate, tourists walking past would take pictures and admire its beauty, completely oblivious to the meetings being held inside whose sole function was to plot the death of hundreds. The weapons would be used to kill so called enemies, not only government men but those in support of their countries. Crukov was a self proclaimed saviour. His sole mission to take out the leaders of as many countries in one go as he could. Rid the world of its leaders and let it fall back into the hands of the people, the people who would look for someone to save them, lead them from the darkness into the light. And as far as Crukov was concerned, he was just that person. Regardless of the fact he was a stone cold killer without an ounce of sanity.

Dabek was Crukov's second in command. A high priority target. They needed him to lead them to the man himself, but Dabek had been waiting for them. Ethan's suspicions kicked in the second he realised Dabek was there alone. Intel had said a meeting was taking place. For a so called 'meeting' it would seem to Ethan that more than one person would be involved. Dabek had run straight at him catching Ethan off guard and shoving him into a wall then took off and ran down into the basement. Brandt had followed. Jane had cut left to try to cut the man off from the other side of the building. Benji had been outside, monitoring comm's and keeping a watchful eye out for any gate crashers.

Ethan forced the feeling of worry from his gut as he closed in on Dabek. He pocketed the tracker, no longer needing the little red flashing dot to tell him his target was close. Dabek was walking quickly up a thin alley. A door at the far end seemed to be his destination. Ethan closed the distance, as Dabek went to open the door he was pulled away from the handle, a gun pressed painfully into his abdomen and an arm across his neck cut off his air. He stared at Ethan in shock. This was not how the plan was supposed to pan out. He was supposed to hit one of them with the drug then escape.

"Hello again." Ethan said menacingly. "I think you have some explaining to do."

"I say nothing to you." Dabek choked out painfully.

"The gun in your side says differently. What did you inject my friend with?"

"I say nothing." Spat Dabek. He tried to squirm away from Ethan, but the barrel of the gun pressed harder until he was certain the metal would rupture his skin. Just as quickly as the gun was rammed into his side it disappeared. A quiet pop reached his ears milliseconds before pain erupted in his knee.

"NO!" Dabek screamed.

Ethan kept his arm pinned across the man's throat, refusing to allow him to fall forward and stem the blood flow from his knee.

"I'll ask one more time, and then I'll shoot the other knee. What did you inject my friend with?"

Dabek's eyes watered, he glanced over Ethan's shoulder. There was no one walking past the alley, no distraction to use to his advantage. No way out.

"Bensoloxilin."

"What the hell is that?" Ethan emphasised his need for an answer by swapping the gun into the other hand and pressing it against the man's uninjured knee.

"It doesn't kill. It incapacitates. You should enjoy watching your friend suffer. I can tell you no more."

"You'll tell me everything."

"You might think I'm scared of you. But I'm already dead for saying what I say. You let me go, you'll never see me again. I say anymore and I'm dead man."

"Where's Crukov?"

Dabek smiled through his pain and took one last breath of air before clamping down hard on his back molar. The crush of teeth preceded the rush of cyanide from the broken capsule. Ethan could do nothing as the man began to convulse. He stepped back letting the body fall to the floor.

"DAMMIT!" His fist struck the wall, breaking the skin of his knuckles.

"You're not going anywhere."

"Jane, I feel fine. See, I'm ok now. We gotta go, Ethan needs our help."

"You. Are. Not. Going. Anywhere."

"What are you gonna do? Shoot me?"

"Don't tempt me."

"I'm not actually sure you're joking. You know that's scary, right?"

"Will, please. Just wait for the blood test to come back and then we can go. Please."

"Fine. But believe me. I feel fine."

Benji rocked back and forth on his heels as the exchange took place. In fairness to Brandt, the man had bounced back very quickly from his initial bought of unconsciousness. Ten minutes after they arrived at the hospital, he'd shot awake scaring the crap out of the medical staff. The dizziness and drowsiness seemed to have worn off. The doctor confirmed his blood pressure was fine and he could go. After a quick phone call to a number Benji had given him, he'd very quickly had a change of heart and had ordered blood tests which were to be given to the man from the phone call and delivered to a 'family' doctor in the area. At the very most the doctor suspected that these three worked for the government in some high ranking administrational capacity. As eluded to by the voice on the phone. Not in his wildest dreams would he have guessed the truth. So even though the blood sample had been taken, Brandt had decided to focus on the doctors first diagnosis that he was fine and could leave. Only to find Jane standing squarely in his way.

"Where are they sending the blood sample?" He asked, trying to sound casual and not the least bit worried that something was actually wrong.

"It's being couriered to the facility in Zurich where one of our research teams are based. Will be there within the next hour." Said Benji as he double checked his watch. "After that I'd give it another hour and we'll know exactly what it is that monkey injected you with."

"Really? Monkey? As in Outbreak? That's what you're going with."

"It was the in flight movie over here." Defended the blonde agent.

"Will, we were told to wait here so you might as well get comfortable." Jane tried to reason as she pushed him back onto the bed. Her attempt to get his feet up and make him lie back was met with a sinister glare that made her very, very glad that the injured agent didn't have a weapon to hand.

"Doyle picked up the sample an hour ago." Benji supplied, hoping to get his friend to relax further. "He's flying it direct to Zurich himself. In the meantime we need to follow the doctors orders and stay here, relax, and wait for the call."

"Easy for you to say." Grumbled Brandt. He didn't mean to be short tempered, but he was tired, aching from the fight and more than ready to call it a day and go to sleep. Somewhere other than the hospital , somewhere like the apartment they were staying in. With its nice bedroom and comfortable bed where he could be alone. He felt fine. That really was the truth. He was pretty sure the drug had just been to stop him following Dabek. The doctor had asked him if he felt his skin tingling, or a tightness in his chest, headache or anything out of the ordinary. He'd answered truthfully about his injuries, sticking to the cover story that they'd been going out for a walk when they were mugged, he'd been beaten and then injected with something. Yes his ribs ached, but no they weren't broken. He had a few bruises but apart from that he felt fine. Yes he felt very weird at first but all that had gone now. So thank you very much and lets go.

He was still waiting for the 'thank you very much and lets go' part.

Ethan found the three of them an hour later, looking pissed off and bored. Even Benji, who never seemed to get bored, looked like he was ready to kill something.

"Any news?" He asked as he made his way over to Brandt, who, to Jane's amazement, had stayed on the bed.

Brandt shook his head tiredly at Ethan. The older man regarded him carefully, taking in the obvious tiredness and bruising around his chin. Aside from that he looked absolutely fine.

"We're waiting to here from Agent Doyle. Did you find Dabek?" Asked Jane.

"He's dead." All three looked up at him as he sank into the one free chair in the room. "Cyanide pill in the molar."

"Well that's….. unoriginal." Stated Benji.

"He tell you anything?" Asked Brandt.

"Just that he wasn't out to kill you."

"Good to know."

Benji's phone began vibrating in his pocket, he pulled it out and showed it to the rest of the team before answering.

"It's Doyle." Ethan answered to Will's unspoken question. From his place in the bed he'd missed the caller ID.

Benji 'uh ah'd' and 'mmm'd' multiple times. He then passed the phone to Ethan. The older agent stood and paced as he listened. Jane and Brandt looked from Benji to Ethan. Anticipation of the outcome hanging in the air like smoke.

Ethan hung up after what seemed an eternity and turned to his team.

"We need to leave here. Crukov will know Dabek is dead soon, if he doesn't know already. We should go back to the apartment. I'll explain everything there.

TBC

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><p><em>Uh oh! What's Ethan not telling them? And how long do i torture you to wait for the answer?<em>


	3. Chapter 3

My dear readers, my dear reviewers, i feel bad for making you wait for this chapter. You're so awesome i cannot make you wait any longer.

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><p>Jane sat down heavily. Her hands falling loose in her lap. Her mouth open, just slightly, helping to take in the extra oxygen she needed.<p>

Ethan sat across from her and kept his head down, his fingers interloping and twisting around each other. He was also trying to control his breathing, but unlike Jane, he'd at least had the ride from the hospital to the apartment to try to process all the information he'd been given.

Benji stared ahead. His expression unreadable. The usually vibrant man, who spoke a million words a second when nervous, had nothing to say. He leaned back against the wall. Slowly he looked up. Slowly they all looked up, their gazes landing on Brandt, who stood with his hands on the back of the couch. A look of consternation consuming his features.

"They're sure?" He asked quietly. "Cos I feel fine."

"They're sure. They ran it and then called me. Then ran it again. Dabek provided the name of the drug. I called ahead and let Doyle know what to look for. They're sure."

"Yeah, but its not fatal so there's nothing to worry about."

"You're sure they said no cure?" Asked Benji for the third time since Ethan had relayed the information to them.

"No cure, but from what they can tell it lasts for up to four days."

"Again, not fatal, so nothing to worry about." Repeated Will.

"Will." Jane started, she tried to finish the statement, instead looked to Ethan for help.

"Will, its not meant to kill. Its meant to incapacitate. To throw us off balance and shift our focus off of Crukov. He knew what he was doing."

"We walked into a trap" Said Benji as he finally sat down. "We walked right into it."

"Look, guys! I'm fine!" Brandt spread his hands as if trying to prove to them his argument. "I'm standing, I'm ok. I feel ok. The mission's still on."

"Will, its going to get worse. The list of things that you could be hit with is pretty extensive." Ethan counter argued.

"Well, when, and if," He emphasised. " That happens then you just leave me here and carry on. Or I'll go back to the hospital."

"You can't." Ethan stood as he spoke. "That's the point of this drug. If you're in the hospital here in Prague for longer than a few hours then you're vulnerable. They could easily grab you and use you as leverage."

"Then I'll go somewhere else, fly stateside."

"You won't be able to travel alone. And Crukov will be wanting you separated. He's hoping to draw us out, he knows we're close. And after Dabek, he'll be out for revenge. From what we can tell that man was the closest thing to a brother he had."

"Scary ass brother."

"But you get my point, Will."

Brandt ran his hand over his face and regarded the rest of the team. "So what do we do?" He asked as he grabbed a water bottle from the fridge in the open kitchen in the corner of the room.

"We complete the mission. This is personal now. They've attacked one of our own. You're vulnerable unless you're with us."

"And if I'm with you then you're vulnerable because of me."

Ethan closed his eyes, willing his mind to find a solution.

"We're not leaving you behind, Will." Said Jane and Benji simultaneously.

"Guys, that's all well and good, and believe me I love hearing it. But its not practical. I'm just going to slow you down." Will placed the empty water bottle on the side and grabbed another from the fridge. "I'm the liability on this mission."

"No, you're not." Ethan said as he stepped toward Will. "You're the motivation."

"Ethan, you don't need motivation."

"I do. And besides, the fact they went after you makes it personal to us. We do this together."

Will stood face to face with Ethan. He knew in his heart that if the mission was to fail, it would be because of him. He knew if left alone he'd inevitably be caught by Crukov's people and then his team would be having to make the decision between his life and the mission. He shook his head as the frustration built.

"This is just what Crukov wants."

"I know. But he thinks of the team as the weapon to use against us. He's wrong, if anything it makes us stronger."

"You gotta promise me, if I do get sick, or whatever, you have to leave me behind and finish the mission."

Ethan exhaled, knowing Will wouldn't back down on this. He nodded.

"Say it. Out loud."

"I promise." Ethan said. Hiding his crossed fingers behind his back so that only Jane and Benji could see.

"Ok, then what's our plan of action?" Will asked, as he finished the second bottle of water.

"We know Dabek was headed for the river. My guess is that's where one of Crukov's safe houses is. But I'll leave that to Benji to confirm."

Benji looked up, thankful for something to do to keep his mind off the list of things that his friend could start suffering from. "If it is his then it'll be under the name of one of the many fake businesses he has set up. No doubt routed through many off shore companies. Could take a while to find but shouldn't be a problem."

"Good, get to work. Jane, I need you to pick up a few things we might need. I've left the list on the table."

Jane nodded and stood. She motioned to Brandt as she picked up the list. Ethan nodded.

"What about me?" Asked Will.

"You, you need to sit."

"Ethan, I told you I'm fine."

"Then why are you sweating?"

In all honesty Will hadn't noticed he was. But now Ethan had mentioned it he looked down at the empty bottle of water, his second in ten minutes. His mouth was dry and his throat parched.

"It's starting?" Asked Will quietly, hoping to get an answer toward the positive.

"Yeah. I think so."

"Might not get as bad as Doyle said."

"With any luck."

Will nodded, he glanced at Jane. The concern in her eyes stung his heart. He moved slowly around Ethan to sit on the couch. Ethan walked Jane to the door.

"You can get all that?" He said as he gestured to his hastily written list. Doyle had gone through everything they might need. Thankfully there was an emergency medical cache in the city that would have it all.

"Yeah, don't let Will know though. If how I'm feeling is any indication then it'll scare him even more. He'll make us leave him behind."

"That's what I'm worried about. He's too vulnerable. There isn't another agent in the area that I would trust to shadow him and I have a feeling it's us he'll need to get through this."

"And you wouldn't have it any other way."

"Then there's that. Be quick."

"Back before you know it."

TBC

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><p><em>Just how mean to our boy should i be?<em>


	4. Chapter 4

You guys are AMAZING! Cookies for each and every one of you.

I'm a little concerned at how much fun this chapter was to write. Best not to dwell on that , so here it is!

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><p>He shivered. A small movement at first. It started with what felt like a breeze of cold air, travelling from his neck down his spine. He shook off the feeling as he downed his fourth bottle of water. Benj continued tapping on his keyboard, he glanced up every now and then. Will had insisted on helping and together they had narrowed down the potential buildings to two in the matter of a half hour. Benji was currently trying to hack into the street camera system to see if he could pinpoint which one held Crukov. They knew the man had the chemical weapons, but the delivery systems to effectively spread the chemicals was something only a select few on the black market could sell him. Their hope was that he had yet to find a seller. The team knew of two arms dealers, one based in Prague, the other in Russia, who could get their hands on something like this. If they knew which one Crukov was dealing with then tracking him would be a whole lot easier.<p>

Brandt shivered again. This time the shiver lingered, feeling more like a tremor. His hands shook as he raised a fifth water bottle to his lips. The cool liquid spilling out and dripping down his chin.

"Dammit."

"You ok?"

"I'm _fine_, Benji."

"Ok, just checking." Benji said in his most even tone. It was clear to even a blind person that Brandt was definitely, without a doubt not _fine_. His friend shook again. The shiver/tremor seeming to take over his whole body. The water spilled again and this time Brandt dropped the bottle onto the coffee table and looked up at Benji.

"Will?"

"Can't stop shaking , Benj."

"Don't worry, its ok." Benji said as he put the lap top down on the floor and picked up the water bottle. He grabbed the blanket from the back of the couch and wrapped it around his friend's shoulders.

"Not cold." Said Will as he shook with more force.

"Ethan. Do you know when Jane will be back?" Asked Benji. Ethan stood from his place at the small table in the kitchen area.

"Soon. What's happening?"

"He can't stop shaking."

Ethan walked quickly to Will's side and put his hand on the agent's back. Heat rolled off him in waves but he shook harder.

"Will? Listen to me, it's going to get worse but I need you to know it won't last. Ok?"

"Is t'that s..s….s…supposed to com…comfort…m….me?"

Ethan didn't bother answering, instead he moved the coffee table out of the way and coaxed Will to lay down against the back of the couch. Benji helped lift his legs up and Will instantly pulled them in to his chest, rolling to his side as the tremors increased. He squeezed his eyes shut, the welcoming feeling of Benji's hands on his leg and Ethan's rubbing his shoulder helping to keep him grounded. The shaking continued, he tried to keep still but it was as though his body was no longer his to control. He was trapped within his mind as he rode out the storm without a paddle. The first cramp in his abdomen hit him by surprise. He opened his eyes. Ethan was still by his shoulder. Benji still holding his legs. Maybe he'd imagined it. Or he was so tightly wound that he'd managed to pull a muscle. Great, on top of everything he was so stressed he was now going to start injuring himself.

Then it happened again. Only this time, the cramp spread from his abdomen out, a tsunami that crescendo'd into a flood of pain.

Ethan was prepared when Brandt screamed. He'd known what was coming. All they didn't know was the order in which it would hit their friend. Muscle spasms building to full body muscle cramps was number five on the list. Will went rigid, the sudden stop in movement stealing the breath from both Ethan and Benji. And then Will screamed. Ethan grabbed his shoulders and pulled him forward. Will's arms shot out, finding Ethan's shirt and gripping with surprising strength, he pulled himself forward even more, so that he was practically hanging off the couch supported by Ethan and Benji. Will's right hand shot out and flailed, looking for anything to take the pain away. Benji, who had one hand wrapped around Will's legs grabbed the agents right hand, he winced as his fingers were crushed in a death grip.

"Ride it out, Will. You're ok. Ride it out. Ride it out. It'll pass. It WILL pass. Believe that." Ethan repeated himself, using an even tone despite the racing of his heart and the rush of blood deafening his ears.

Will couldn't make out the words, but he focused on the voice. The pain blossomed, his breath caught in his chest as he tried to scream. His hand gripped Benji's even harder. His left hand fisting Ethan's shirt as he used whatever he could find to ground himself. He wasn't going to be washed away by the pain. He would hang on. Ethan had said it wasn't life threatening. So this should be easy, right? Focus on the words. On the touch. Focus on anything but the pain. His chest spasmed, allowing the air to escape and another scream to rip free. He tried to move, tried to hide away but hands held him firm. They were warm and familiar. Safe. They offered freedom from the rebelling muscles around his body. He focused, attempted to push the pain aside and focused. Pain, his world was becoming pain. Like dusk descending on the desert, all that was left was darkness. No stars in his sky to navigate by, he was becoming lost in the emptiness, left behind in the nothingness. Falling into oblivion. There was a small pin prick on the back of his hand but he was oblivious to it as a tear escaped his eye and ran for freedom down his cheek. Then something shifted, a hand ran through his hair, settling on his neck and massaging. Chasing away the darkness for a second, for one sweet, beautiful second. It was enough to bring him back into the dawn and away from the dark night.

Jane depressed the plunger and allowed the sedative to enter Will's blood stream. They could only use this one sedative, the only one that the lab had deemed safe enough that the chemicals in his system wouldn't react with. She prayed they were right. She'd come back from gathering the supplies to hear a scream, rushing through the door she found Ethan and Benji, holding onto Will for dear life as he struggled against the pain

The sedative, mainly made of natural ingredients, took several minutes to kick in. The downside to not being able to give him something stronger. Will struggled against them , trying to break free from the pain, lost to the world and all consumed. Ethan kept hold. Benji kept hold. Jane smoothed the sick agent's hair back and moved her hand to massage his neck to help ease the tension. They kept this up for almost fifteen minutes before Brandt began to relax. Slowly , at first, the shaking began to subside. Then, just as slowly, his breathing calmed. The hand gripping Benji's relaxed slightly, allowing some of the blood to flow back into the English agents fingers. Ethan felt his shirt being released a little. None of them moved. They took their queue from Will who whispered into Ethan's ear, making the older man smile.

"What did he say?" Asked Benji in no more than a whisper, almost as If he feared his voice could set off another attack.

"He said, when we get hold of Crukov, we kick his ass."

"Will." Jane said as she wiped his sweaty hair off his forehead. "I promise you, we'll be inflicting a whole lot more pain than that when we get hold of him."

Ethan, Benji and Jane all breathed a sigh of relief as a ghost of a smile haunted Will's face. He nodded as Ethan gently lowered him back to the couch. Benji repositioning his legs so that he could lay on his back, stretched out and comfortable as the sedative kicked in fully.

"Ethan?" Questioned Jane, she knew she didn't need to ask any more of the question they all needed to ask.

"I know. But we can do this. Doyle said the guys in the lab had heard of the drug, it's nasty as hell but no symptom repeats."

"So, we just got one hell of a symptom out of the way then." Supplied Benji hopefully. "Should be a breeze from here on in."

"Did you find which building?" Asked Ethan, he watched Brandt sleep, the anger inside him building with each passing moment. He wasn't just going to stop Crukov, he was going to end him.

"We did." Benji stood, looking like a man who needed to hit something. Ethan smiled, knowing the feeling only too well.

"Then lets go fishing. Jane?"

"Go, I got Brandt."

TBC

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><p><em>I bet you sick peaple want me to make him suffer more don't you? Thank god! Cos its a safe bet i will!<em>


	5. Chapter 5

Major cookies to all of you! So sorry i haven't managed to get back to your wonderful reviews (i got distracted , blame BetaBranch). I really cannot thank you all enough for your support. Much love to you all...on with the show...

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><p>Will felt like he was floating in an ocean, the sea breeze skimming over his body as he lay within the arms of the deep blue water. Safe and secure, nothing could harm him there, nothing could lay its icy fingers into his body and twist his soul into nothing but a painful knot. He was floating, free and calm. Water washed over his face. Cool water against heated skin. He sighed, moved his head in it's direction and smiled as more water cascaded down his face.<p>

Jane shook her head fondly as she wiped away the sweat from Will's face. The sedative wouldn't last long, another downside to not being able to use a stronger one. But it would give him enough of a reprieve for the muscle spasms to dissipate and melt away into the ether before he woke up. He sighed again as she ran the cool cloth over his face and down his neck. The black T Shirt he'd been wearing was soaked through. She hoped he hadn't been left so weak that he couldn't get in the shower. No doubt he'd need one. She checked her watch, not for the first time. Ethan and Benji had been gone forty minutes. She checked her phone, it hadn't rung, but she felt the need to check anyway. Just in case.

Nothing.

Taking a breath she shook herself mentally and focused on the challenge at hand, picking up the cloth from the bowl of water she continued cooling down her friend. She was thankful they hadn't bothered getting his temperature when he'd finally fallen into a deep sleep. She feared it would have been higher than any of them could have dealt with. With each passing minute the fever had abated. His temperature nearing normal now as the muscle spasms and cramps passed.

She smiled as blue eyes opened. It took him a few seconds to register her presence, his eyes locking onto hers.

"Hey" He whispered.

"Hey yourself. How you feeling?"

Brandt opened his mouth to speak, only to be cut off by Jane. "And if you say fine, I'll beat you."

He raised his eyebrows and considered his options for a second.

"Crap." He whispered. His throat felt raw. "Was I screaming?" He asked, suddenly embarrassed.

"Not as much as I would have been in your position."

"Yeah, but still, I screamed." He looked away as his cheeks flushed red.

"Seriously? You're getting embarrassed because you screamed when intense pain ripped through your body?"

"You're a girl, you wouldn't understand." He whispered playfully.

"Shut up, sit up, and drink this."

He smiled as she helped him to a sitting position.

"I feel like I've run a marathon." He moaned as his body protested the movement.

"Probably gonna feel like that for a few days I'm afraid. Now drink."

Brandt did as he was told, all the while smiling at her with his eyes over the water bottle.

"What's so funny?" She asked as he continued to grin.

"You."

"Me?"

"You're really bossy when you're in mother hen mode."

Jane opened her mouth to speak but words escaped her. Which just made Brandt grin all the more. He waggled his eyebrows at her as he finished the water.

"How do you feel now?" She asked, ignoring his attempt to annoy her.

"In the minute its been since you last asked? Better actually." Will admitted. He then looked around the room. "Where's Ethan and Benji?"

"Recon, they know which building Crukov is possibly held up in. Surveillance showed him entering. Not sure if he's still there now but they've gone to check it out."

"We need to go help." Will said as he started to stand.

"No _we _don't. _We _need to relax and wait, they're only doing recon." She lied. "They'll be back soon and then we'll figure out a plan of action. It's possible he isn't even there now."

"I hate this, you guys need to…"

"Don't start that, Will. You already know the answer."

"I hate the answer." He admitted.

"You feel like a shower?" Jane asked, changing the subject.

"God yeah. But alone." He added quickly.

She laughed as she helped him to his feet. "Don't lock the door though, and call if you need me."

"Yeah. I will. Thanks." He said as he made his way stiffly toward the bathroom at the back of the apartment.

Jane collected up the discarded water bottles. "I don't _mother hen_." She said under her breath.

"Yes you do." Came a voice from the bathroom.

TBC

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><p><em>Its a short one, i'm sorry. But if ya hit that little review button i promise to get the next , longer, chapter up soon x<em>


	6. Chapter 6

To my beautiful readers, i feel bad for giving you such a short chapter yesterday, so here is the next (longer) installment in our little adventure!

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><p>Ethan and Benji made their way up the stairs to the little apartment. The 'recon' mission hadn't quite been what Jane had told Brandt it would be. They'd arrived to find five men standing outside keeping guard. Ethan had snuck in the back of the building, Benji had gone up to the roof and managed to drop a high powered mike into the air ventilation systems. The sounds it picked up were filtered through a program and cleaned up.<p>

"Kirk? Crukov is there. He's meeting with an arms dealer." Benji informed Ethan.

"Which one, Scotty?" Asked Ethan over the comms. He shook his head at the code names. Whenever he let Benji pick them they always seemed centred around sci fi.

"Not sure. It's hard to tell. But I can report the meeting isn't going all that well."

"Arguing?"

Benji listened for a little longer before responding.

"No, the arms dealer is , shockingly, refusing to make a deal for the delivery system. He doesn't want to be involved, Wow, an arms dealer with a conscience. Who'd have thought. Apparently the target isn't in Russia. It's in Sweden. Oh god it's the Palace of Nations , the UN building."

"Isn't there going to be a conference there soon?"

"In two days. On the world economic state. Kirk, do you realise how many presidents and prime ministers will be there?"

"Take them all out in one large swoop."

"In a way that will be remembered forever."

"Not if we have anything to do with it. I'm in position, I can hear which room they're in, I'm going to…." Ethan stopped short as a gun shot reverberated around the building. Its echo bouncing off the walls. Quickly followed by another.

"Kirk?" Whispered Benji, terrified his friend had been discovered.

"I'm ok, Scotty. Crukov shot the arms dealer and his guy. He's making his way out. I can't get a line of sight to take him out."

"I'll see if I can." Benji jumped up and ran to the edge of the building. He looked down, already knowing he wouldn't be able to get off a clean shot. There were too many guards and the car was parked too close to the door. "Shit."

"Shit." Agreed Ethan as he made his way into the room that now housed a dead arms dealer and his body guard. He checked over the body guard, and finding nothing, moved onto the arms dealer.

"Jesus, this guys alive, Scotty."

"Call for paramedics?"

"Negative." Said Ethan as he checked the gun shot wound. "Won't make it." He gently slapped the injured man's cheek, garnering a response as the man's hand shot up to grip Ethan's throat.

"Who are you?" The man demanded.

"Here to help. Crukov, where is he going?"

"To hell."

"Ok, but before that, were is he going?"

"I couldn't do it, I have family in Geneva." Ethan relaxed his grip on the man as he kept mumbling about his family. He was lost in pain and fear, with one last plea for his family's life his eyes slid shut, his breathing slowed and his hand fell to the ground.

"Scotty?"

"Yes, Captain?"

"Looks like Geneva is the target, but he'll be making a stop off in Russia for the other dealer."

"I'll go get the car then. Best not hang around, hey?"

"On my way."

MI4MI4MI4MI4MI4MI4MI4MI4MI4

Ethan entered the small apartment first. He quickly filled Jane in on the Intel and his plan. She listened intently as Benji started packing their things.

"So we go to Russia?"

"We go to Bratsk." Clarified Ethan. "Where's Will?"

"He's had a shower, he's just laying down for a while."

"He ok?" Queried Benji.

"Headaches. He can barely stand when they hit."

"Jesus." Whispered Benji.

"There's a plane waiting for us. We're flying tonight, pack whatever we might need." Said Ethan as he made his way toward the bedroom Will was sleeping in.

The younger agent was stretched out on the bed in the dark room, his arm hanging loosely off the side. He was breathing heavily, each breath causing his frown to deepen. He was out of the T Shirt and black pants and in jeans and a long sleeved black shirt. Ethan sat carefully on the edge of the bed, moving his friend's arm out of the way as he did so. He listened closely to each breath the other man took. His lips were parted slightly, a gentle moan escaping every now and then. Ethan sat back and rubbed his hand across his face. They were barely a day into the four day run of the drug and already Ethan had seen enough of his friend suffering. Crukov was clever. But just like any other target they were tasked with, in no way would he succeed.

Ethan joined the others in the main room. They packed everything they could possibly need. The plan was simple, but as Benji began to point out before Jane stopped him, when did it ever end up being simple? The plane was waiting for them at a small airport just outside of the city. If they could get to Bratsk before Crukov they'd have a chance of pulling off the mission. The man would be out in the open, unsuspecting and unprotected. The perfect opportunity for them to take him out.

Jane helped Ethan take the bags out to the car while Benji gingerly tried to wake up Will. Slowly, and through a wall of hurt, blue eyes slowly made themselves known underneath the over protective eyelids that tried to shield the ill man from the onslaught of light that cascaded in through the open door to the hallway.

"We have a plan?" He whispered to his friend.

Benji nodded in sympathy as Will tried to sit, with every movement he winced in pain. Slowly, with help, Will found himself upright. Albeit supported by Benji.

"We're going to Bratsk."

"Dam."

"You been there?"

"No, but they have a big dam."

"Wow, its such a shame that this drug hasn't improved your sense of humour."

"Well, to quote something a friend of mine once said, 'It's not all gonna be gold'."

Benji smirked as he threw Will's left arm over his shoulder. "Upsie daisy." He said as he raised the other agent to his feet. Will immediately buried his head in his right hand.

"Wait." He breathed out.

"Just take your time, Will. No rush. Just, maybe, start with one foot in front of the other. I'll guide you." Encouraged Benji.

Ethan waited for them by the door way to the apartment. With one glance at Will he knew the light from the brightening street lamps outside would knock him off his feet.

"Brandt? Don't open your eyes. Just listen. I'm going to put a scarf over your eyes."

"You blindfolding me?" Asked Will as he regarded the older man through a squint.

"It's either that or you face the lights."

Will looked passed Ethan into the hallway and felt the colour drain from his face. He licked suddenly dry lips and nodded his acquiescence. Ethan tied the scarf at the back of Will's head and positioned the now blinded man between himself and Benji.

"Let us lead, you just follow. Ok?"

"Don't have much of a choice do I?"

"And here we go." Benji walked forward slowly, letting Will gather his bearings.

"Ok, just don't walk me in to a wall."

With each step he allowed his trust in his team mates to take over, what started out as a slow, shuffle toward the exit, became an almost confident stride out into the street and the awaiting car. The headache abated enough that he didn't feel like his head would drop off the second he turned. The pounding of his heart however thrummed in his ears. The sound deafening and sending shards of shrapnel into his skull. If he didn't know any better he'd swear the pressure behind his eyes was enough to make them explode from his face. The car ride did nothing to ease the ache. He sat with his head back against the seat. Benji was rattling off a list of interesting facts about Bratsk and a girl he'd once known who'd come from there but Will couldn't focus on the words. The sound of his friend's voice though was a welcome relief to the beating of his heart that had become his soundtrack. He settled back, the hum of the traffic, along with the comfort of Benji's voice helped lull him into an unsuspecting doze. Sleep eluding him but at least allowing him a glimpse of refuge.

His headache floated out into the distance. Just as his lungs decided that oxygen was a thing of the past and no longer needed.

TBC

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><p><em>Uh oh! Muhahaha , evil cliffie<em>


	7. Chapter 7

My dearest friends, i feel bad for the previous chapter's cliffie that smacked you in the face without warning! Well, i kinda feel bad...ok...just a little...FINE! I don't feel bad at all!

To those i haven't managed to get back to , thank you so so much for all your wonderful reviews! I love hearing your thoughts (and threats! lol!). So, without further delay...

Onto the next part...

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><p>The plane rose to its cruising altitude as Jane adjusted the oxygen mask, once again, back onto Brandt's face. Their arrival at the small airport had been a frantic, heart stopping one. Benji had been happily retelling stories of his youth when Will's hand had shot out and gripped his arm. The other man had been sleeping, or so the other's had thought. The sudden movement made Benji jump in his seat. Will was wide eyed and panicked. His mouth opening and closing but releasing no sound. His lungs felt like they were being squeezed of all air, like a press forcing water from a cloth. He struggled to sit up but hands gripped his. He felt the car swerve and come to a halt.<p>

Ethan had jumped out and run to the back, ripping open the trunk and frantically searching for the medical supplies Jane had packed.

The female agent opened the door on Will's side and grabbed his head in her hands, forcing him to focus. Benji held steadfast to the suffocating man's arms. Determined to not let him hurt himself further or slip away from them for good.

Will's eyes locked onto Jane's as she leaned forward, their heads almost touching. "You can breathe, you hear me? You're hyperventilating but you can breathe. Your lungs are struggling but oxygen will get in. You hear me? You need to try and calm down. Will? WILL!"

His blue eyes rolled back into his head, she shook him then, hard and with purpose, snapping him back to reality in a way he'd really prefer to not have to go through again thank you very much. Then, just as he was about to allow the darkness to claim him blessed oxygen found its way into his lungs. He breathed in long and deep, causing a coughing fit that threatened to tear out what little lung was currently working.

"That's it, Brandt. Deep breaths." Encouraged Ethan.

"But try not to choke." Added Benji as he released his grip on Will's arms.

Will, once again, opened his eyes to find all three of his team mates staring at him. Jane was positioned right in front, barely two inches from his face. Ethan was just as close to his left, thankfully Benji was a little further away as he rubbed small circles on Will's arm. Benji smiled as Will's eyes found his.

"You know, we have to stop meeting like this."

Will mumbled something under the oxygen mask.

"What was that?" Asked Benji.

Ethan, who was close enough to hear, let out a relieved laugh.

"You don't want to know." Reassured Ethan.

"But it was rude." Added Jane as she moved back from Will.

Will try to look innocent, but ended up giving up and just enjoying the sweet oxygen being fed into his lungs from the mask Ethan was holding over his nose and mouth. He nodded his thanks.

"Don't mention it. Just don't scare the shit out of us like that again."

Will aimed for an apologetic expression.

"Ok, don't scare us like that again, or make that face." Teased Benji.

"We ready to carry on?" Asked Jane as she rounded the car and hopped back into the driver's seat. They'd made it to the airport, but had yet to make it to the plane.

Ethan handed off oxygen mask duties to Benji and climbed into the passenger seat beside Jane. He shared a look with her that spoke more than words. A look she shared with Benji in the rear view.

The plane they were in was small, but luxurious. Ethan had the best contacts as far as Jane was concerned. There were two tables, four arm chair type seats and two beds. One of which currently held a certain former chief analyst snug in its grasp. Will lay on his back, his head and shoulders supported by two large pillows. The oxygen mask tied around his face, which was becoming quite the hindrance in his efforts to be heard.

"They won't suspect a thing. We take the meeting, insure they're the only ones who are a part of this. Find out where the weapons are being held. Then kill him." Ethan said with ice cold finality.

"When is…. It…. ever that….. simple." Interjected Will, the oxygen mask was once again in his hand resting on his chest.

"It's a sound plan." Said Jane as she tried to move his hand away to replace the mask. "Just because they never work out quite the way he plans doesn't mean it won't work out in the end."

"Hey!" Protested Ethan as he watched the struggle between Carter and Brandt. Will had once again got the mask off, Jane went to snatch it from his grasp but pulled up short when he batted her hand away. She in turn slapped his and forced the offending piece of equipment back over his nose and mouth.

"It'll work." She said again. "Right, Benji?" She called over to the English agent, who was currently putting the finishing touches on the two masks he and Ethan would be wearing.

"Definitely." He agreed. "Well, most probably." He added. "If it works in theory it'll work in fact." He finally proclaimed.

Will raised his eyebrows and looked pointedly at Jane and then Ethan. Once again he reached up, when Jane moved to stop him he held two fingers up and added a promise to the look he gave her. She threw her hands in the air. "Fine, two minutes."

She reached over and pulled the mask from his face.

"You need more….. people. Ethan, you….. and Benji will be inside, Jane covering …the outside. Its…. just not…. enough people."

"We'll make it work." Ethan said emphatically.

"How long …have the other…. symptoms lasted?"

Jane looked to Ethan for an answer. "An hour or so." She answered.

"Will, I can see where this is going. And no."

"You have… no choice."

"The other symptoms didn't involve you almost suffocating."

"Its not…. as bad now, you even…. said it yourself ….earlier."

"But its left you exhausted." Jane said as she realised where the conversation was going.

"You can give me….. the shot as we start…. the mission. It'll be enough, at least …..that way I can monitor….. cameras and comms. If it all goes to hell, I can call….. in back up."

"Back up that could get us arrested." Called out Benji.

"And then I'll…. break you out of prison." Will called back.

"Listen, when we land we'll see how you are. Ok?" Ethan leaned forward as he spoke, lifting the oxygen mask back up onto Will's nose and mouth. The short conversation had left him breathless and panting. Which, he would admit, was really not helping his case.

"They…can't…..win." Will's voice could barely be heard beneath the mask.

"They haven't won. And they won't win. They were trying to splinter us, throw us off balance and separate us. They've already failed."

Will nodded tiredly as his eyes slid shut. The effort to stay an active member of the team was taking its toll. He'd tried the 'leave me behind' line as they helped him into the plane. But despite his many, many best efforts to argue the point he realised it was futile. If it had been Ethan, Jane or Benji who had been unfortunate enough to be injected with the drug, and it could have so easily been one of them, he knew he'd not let them out of his sight until they were one hundred percent a-ok again. No matter what. No matter the argument put forth or the circumstances against them.

And no way in hell would he let an attack like that go without retaliation.

TBC

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><p><em>See, no evil cliffie's . I'm being nice now.<em>


	8. Chapter 8

I love you guys, every single one of you. You there, and you, and yes, yes you there at the back, don't think i can't see you hiding. You are all truly awesome, and as the snow falls on london, i bring you the next chapter.

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><p>Jane steadied her hand as she filled the small syringe with adrenalin. It was to be used as a last resort, one which the guys in the lab were only seventy percent sure would work. But Will was willing to take the seventy percent, it seemed better odds than the team going in without eyes on the street outside and someone to monitor the comms.<p>

The high rise where intel suggested the meeting would be taking place was in the centre of the Tsentralny area. A downtrodden, concrete jungle compact enough to offer fair warning of any authorities trying to gate crash any arms deal that might be going ahead. The intel had proved fruitful, Ethan and Jane had gone in and incapacitated the arms dealer Grigory Primakov and his business partner, Ivan Tsarev. Jane, once again proving that she could manipulate a man to do absolutely anything she wanted. Including opening the front door to a stranger whilst you're waiting for an insane terrorist to arrive for a meeting.

The room was set, Ethan and Benji were inside, already dressed up and wearing the masks that even Jane wouldn't have recognised them in. The hope was that Crukov would arrive with the chemical weapons in hand. He would need to check that the delivery system would work before handing over the considerable sum of money that they would cost. The conference at the UN was scheduled for the following day. If Crukov was to target that many people he'd have no choice but fly direct to there from the meeting.

Jane approached Will. He was seated on the floor in the back of an old builders van. Benji had already set up all the computers and comms. All Will had to do was monitor them. Thankfully his lungs had decided to calm down and play along with his need to breathe. Two hours into the flight and he'd finally convinced the team he didn't need the oxygen mask anymore. He was good to go, one little shot of adrenaline and he'd be sailing through the next couple of hours. He'd ignored Benji's remarks about the inevitable adrenaline crash. He needed to focus on one thing at a time thank you very much.

"You sure?" Jane asked, for the tenth time.

"I'm sure." Said Will as he wiped away the blood from his nose with an already bloodied tissue. His latest affliction. For the past twenty minutes he'd been leaving his blood on little tissues all around the back of the van. Happily throwing as many as he could into places he knew Benji would need to reach in order to break down the equipment after the mission. Jane smiled as he threw his latest addition over the back of the monitor.

"He's going to kill you, you know that right."

"He'll need to get in line, I've thrown a few of them into Ethan's bag."

"Not mine?" Jane asked quickly.

"Of course not yours." Will said a little too sweetly.

"You are enjoying this one way too much."

"I think after the last twenty four hours a man is allowed a little fun."

"Yes he is." Laughed Jane as she positioned the needle over the vein in Will's forearm, she looked up, silently asking the question again. He nodded and smiled, relieving her of some of her apprehension. She pushed the needle into his skin, then further into the vein itself, depressing the plunger slowly. Will kept his eyes closed. He'd had a shot like this before, knew what to expect. His heart began to beat harder, faster, all of a sudden it felt as though he'd broken free of the weight holding him beneath the surface. He gasped, opened his eyes to find Jane holding onto him. She was repeating the same word over and over.

"Shit, shit, shit shit."

"Jane! I'm ok."

She pulled away and looked at him, determined to find the truth in that statement.

"Honestly, I'm ok."

She nodded but didn't release her grip.

"You sure?"

"Yeah, you need to go, get into position. They're gonna be here soon."

"Right." She reluctantly let go, stepped back and slid the door to the van closed.

"Hondo? Gamble in position. Street on the move."

"Really?" Came Benji's voice over the comms. "Did we really have to go with his suggestion?"

"You got to pick the last two times. It's the sick man's turn now." Answered Will.

"But why do I get that name and the you know who gets the cool you know what."

"Shut up Sanchez and get into position. They're here."

A black car pulled up outside the building, three men got out and positioned themselves around the entrance. Another car pulled around the corner and came to a stop behind the first. Crukov pulled himself out and stood, stretching his aching back muscles as he waited for his newly appointed second in command to join him from the car. Dabek was still an itch he needed to scratch. But revenge could wait. He knew the team who were after him were under orders from their government. By tomorrow, their government would pay for Dabek, and all the others who had suffered under what Crukov believed to be a world oppression. At least Dabek had succeeded. The team who had been closing in on him were no doubt in the wind, tending to their sick colleague. He breathed the cool morning air deep within his lungs. A briefcase was passed to him by his second in command, without any further hesitation, Crukov and his second along with the driver of his car walked into the building.

Brandt wiped away the blood that was now flowing rapidly down his chin. The side effects of the increased heart rate. He just hoped he'd last long enough to get the operation over with. Grabbing two tissues he shoved them as far up his nose as possible and turned his full attention back to the street cameras. The three goons were still stood outside the building. Their hands hovering over their waists indicating weapons hidden beneath jackets. Slight static whispered across the comms but did nothing to hide the conversation taking place inside the building.

"That's not the agreed amount." Came Ethan's accented voice.

"The price we agreed is what is here."

"The price has gone up. After you use these delivery systems I will have to go underground."

"Your final price then?" Asked Crukov a little too calmly. There was silence over the comms as Ethan wrote a number down on a piece of paper.

"That is agreeable?" He asked as he passed the paper to Crukov.

"Yes. Now let me see the systems."

Silence again, followed by rustling as Benji brought forward the delivery systems. Only one had been left functional. Jane and Will had wanted all of them to be disabled but as Ethan pointed out, they'd need to test one of them. He ignored the comments about the Dubai incident with the launch codes and focused instead on removing the pins that allowed the systems to disperse the gas.

Jane leaned around the corner of the building. Keeping a close eye on the three men guarding the entrance. She spared one quick look to the van, knowing Brandt would read her concern. The answering whisper helped dispel her fears.

"Gamble ok."

Although it was his choice to take the adrenalin, it was her who had administered it. She shook her head, gripped her weapon tight and forced the fear away to the back of her mind. She had to focus.

"Street in position." She confirmed to Ethan's unasked question. Inside, the conversation was nearing the point where they could confirm if the four vials of chemicals were all in the briefcase Crukov had been carrying.

"Anton." Crukov gestured to his second in command. "Bring a vial to test."

Ethan stepped forward, his hand on the delivery system that Crukov was trying to pick up.

"You're not testing that in here."

"Just making sure it does as you say. Do not worry, the gas isn't for you." Crukov smiled, a cold, empty action that sent a shiver down Benji's spine. The English agent stepped back slightly so he could get a full view as the other man opened the briefcase. He released the breath he'd been holding as he threw a wink to Ethan. All four vials were there.

"So," Ethan began as he stepped forward. "How'd you like our weather?"

At the sound of the code word Jane took a step forward, she aimed carefully and gently squeezed the trigger. At the same time, inside the room, Ethan and Benji covered their ears as Brandt, from the van outside, set off the flash bangs placed in the room earlier, via the remote Benji had left him. Crukov and his men ducked, blinded and deafened. Ethan lunged forward, grabbing hold of the briefcase and throwing it toward Benji.

Jane took out two of the guards in as many seconds. The third took off, running as fast as he could as Jane sprinted behind in pursuit.

Benji came bursting out of the building. Crukov's second in command, Anton, in hot pursuit. The flash bang was only a temporary distraction, but Benji had hoped he'd be further ahead than he was when the men recovered.

Ethan was still inside, having dispatched the third guard and now desperately trying to wrestle a gun from Crukov's hands. The man hadn't seemed the trained assassin type but was proving to be quite the adversary. Ethan ducked, striking out his hand and knocking the gun from Crukov's grasp. The other man countered, connecting with Ethan's jaw hard enough to send a shockwave reverberating around his skull. Crukov smiled, taunting. The smile faltered, a frown taking its place as he looked at the piece of skin hanging loosely from Ethan's face. The mask had been torn, the distraction giving him the perfect opportunity to knock Crukov off his feet. The two men landing with a thud in a heap on the floor. Crukov scrambled, fighting for the upper hand, he rolled Ethan onto his back and pinned his legs, then with surprising strength, he wrapped his hands around the IMF agent's neck and squeezed with all his might. Ethan's vision swam immediately. The man had his hands against his artery, giving him barely a minute before he passed out. His hands fought beside him, after what seemed an eternity his fingers found his prize. He smiled up at Crukov as he pulled the trigger on the gun.

Jane's feet pounded against the concrete as she ran after the fleeing bodyguard. He ran hard and fast, looking behind at his pursuer and her gun, trained directly at his head. He forced his fear to be his fuel and ran harder, faster, skidding around a corner as a bullet broke off part of the wall where his head had been seconds earlier. He glanced behind as the lithe woman gained on him. Had he focused on his direction he would have seen the car turning into the street. Had he focused on his escape, he wouldn't have so willingly ran straight out into the road as the car gained speed .

Jane came to a dead stop as her objective's body flew up into the air, only to hit the ground hard and come to a rolling stop. His hands twitched slightly, his head resting against the tarmac. His mouth slack, eyes lifeless. She holstered her weapon once she was sure he wasn't getting back up. Leaving the driver of the car to call in the accident she turned and ran back in the direction of the building.

Benji had made it around the building and almost to the van before Anton grabbed him from behind and threw him down a side alley with such force he continued to roll long after his body hit the ground. Startled, Benji shook his head. Holding up his hands to realise he'd dropped the briefcase, Anton wasted no time in continuing the attack, he raised his fists and attacked Benji with blow after blow, rendering the stunned agent inept to defend himself.

Brandt heard the shocked sound Benji had made, followed by his pain filled grunts as he'd hit the floor. He'd watched on the monitor as his friend went flying into the alley. Anton rolling up his sleeves as he followed. Without a second thought Will grabbed his gun and pulled himself out of the van. As he stood to make his way to the alley a numbness spread through his body, threatening to pull him beneath the surface and hold him hostage within its grasp. His head swam as he forced himself forward on unsteady legs. He was glad no one could see the meandering route he took to the alley. One hand gripping the gun while the other flailed out wildly in a useless attempt to stop him bumping into anything. As he hit the wall he slid forward, using the cool brick as a guide. He could hear Benji clearly now. The agent was attempting to fight back, but apparently only with profanity. Brandt stopped as Benji and his attacker came into view. Benji was on his feet, taunting the man as punch after punch was landed to his jaw. They were side by side, Will needed Benji to turn the man so he could get a clean shot. Normally hitting a guy side on wouldn't be an issue, but as Will was having trouble seeing clearly he figured it was best to not take any chances and accidentally hit his friend, so he shouted out.

"BENJI, TURN HIS BACK!"

Benji looked up, shocked. His expression enough to cause Anton to stop his onslaught and turn to see what was causing the change of expression in his victim. Benji saw the second Will began to pull the trigger and threw himself to the floor. He brought his hands up instinctively to cover his head. The body of Crukov's second in command fell heavily beside him, blood flowing freely from the man's forehead.

"How the bloody hell did you hit him square in the head?" He asked as he pushed his aching body into a sitting position.

"Head?" Queried Will as he slid slowly to the ground. "I was aiming for his heart."

Benji laughed at his friend, but pulled up short as he realised Brandt wasn't joking.

"Good thing I ducked then."

"Yeah, good thing." Smiled Will.

Benji frowned, suddenly remembering something. "William Brandt you were told to stay in the van!"

"Seriously, we're using the whole name now?"

"Don't try and tell me off while looking like that."

"Like what?"

"You might want to take out the tissues." Noted Benji.

Will frowned, unsure of what the other agent meant. His head was screaming at him and up was down, left was right and he wasn't entirely sure just how long he had left to stay conscious. Benji dragged himself over to Will and reached forward, tugging the bottom of the tissues from Will's nose.

"Huh." Will said as he took the crimson stained tissues from Benji. "Jane's bag." He said, winking at his friend.

"You know what? I'm not even going to ask."

"Ask what?" Questioned Ethan as he came jogging up the alley with Jane in tow.

"Nothing. Never mind. You get them?"

"Crukov is dead."

"So's his other body guards." Added Jane. "And I can see Anton didn't pose much of a threat."

"Thank Will for that, although I almost had the guy. A few more seconds and he would have been mine."

"Its true." Said Will, weakly. "Benji was about to drop him. I merely speeded up the process."

Ethan picked up the briefcase Benji had dropped earlier. All four vials were in tact and accounted for. He opened his mouth to speak but stopped as Benji raised his hand. The English agent was propped up next to Brandt, who's eyes were merely slits. The crash from the adrenalin shot had hit him full and completely. He didn't care though, they'd succeeded, and on top of that his nose had stopped bleeding.

"What is it, Benji?"

"Can I say it this time? Please?" The tone Benji used rendered Ethan defenceless as he spread his arms out and bowed slightly.

"Go ahead."

Benji smiled around the blood from his split lip and bruising from his cracked jaw. He looked at each of the team members, and very proudly said. "Mission accomplished!

TBC

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><p><em>I was gonna be mean and put The End...but i figured you wanted some more HC ! One more chapter to go._


	9. Chapter 9

Dear Foxy, i can't reply to your awesome reviews directly so am doing so here. I love each and every one ! Thank you so much x

Reviews really are the fuel for the fire. I can't thank you all enough for coming on this little ride with me! As much fun as it is to write its even more fun hearing what you guys think! (Even if cliffhangers bring with them threats! But i love your threats!) And to those who read only, please know i know you're out there (thank you stats) and i can't thank you enough for taking the time.

This story was an absolute blast to write . The encouragement and support of you guys has made it more than worth the hours spent in front of the computer typing. Thank you all so much.

And, before i rattle on any longer, here we are...at the end...

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><p>Will hung on for dear life, his grip knuckle white. He daren't look down, daren't open his eyes to see what lay beneath his gaze. He held his breath, knowing that eventually he would have to allow the air back in. Knowing it was a futile attempt to halt the path of time. This was one fight he wasn't going to win. He could feel the pressure building again, his muscles preparing themselves for the attack. Throat working convulsively as the acid rose from his stomach.<p>

Benji sat back as Will threw up for what had to have been the twentieth time in ten minutes. The sick man was currently wrapped around the toilet in the bathroom of a rather posh hotel that the team had been treated to in Moscow. After taking down Crukov the team had earned a much needed respite. One suite for Ethan, Benji and Will, and the adjoining suite for Jane. The hotel had a spa, gym, gorgeous bar where the tab would be picked up by good ol' Uncle Sam, thank you very much, and was walking distance from a very impressive theatre.

All that of course had yet to be explored thanks to what was hopefully the last of the drug leaving Will's system.

It had taken all three of them to get him back into the van from the alley. Shortly after Benji had proclaimed the mission accomplished Will had given up his fight for consciousness and slumped sideways, his head coming to rest on Benji's shoulder. Jane had brought the vehicle closer after calling for the cleaners. Ethan and a slightly wobbly Benji had picked up Will between them and dragged him to the van where Jane was waiting with the engine idling. Settling him inside they'd stayed put until Ethan had confirmed his blood pressure wasn't anything to worry about and his heart rate had calmed. It was while Ethan had been doing his checks that Benji spotted the many, many, many bloodied tissues lying around his beloved computer equipment.

"Oh you've got to be kidding me." He said as he looked dismayed at the mess.

"Don't worry, Benji." Comforted Jane. "I think he got Ethan too."

Ethan's head shot up and looked around for his bag. There, lying on top were three bloodied tissues. "He really does have a sick sense of humour this one." He said affectionately as he covered Will in a blanket.

"Ahh huh!" Exclaimed Benji.

"What?" Asked Jane.

"That's what he meant. He asked me to put the tissues in your bag. That's quite funny actually."

"How is that funny?"

"Well, it's a little funny. At least he used tissues. Lets face it he could have quite easily just held your bag under his nose and let the blood dribble out." Benji pulled up short as he tapped away on the keyboard, his fingers coming away slightly sticky and crimson. "Oh for gods sake!"

Will had regained consciousness just as the team had arrived in Moscow. He'd slept soundly the entire journey there. Unaware of the care and concern of his team mates, who took it in turns to check his heart rate and blood pressure. For a full five hours after awaking he'd been symptom free and ready to see the sites of Moscow. Jane had bought a new dress for a night at the theatre, Ethan had acquired silk suits for himself, Will and Benji from a source he refused to disclose. A restaurant had been booked and the four had been about to walk out the door when Will had called out from behind them. He looked up, into the faces of his team, his family. All colour drained from his cheeks and he turned and ran to the bathroom. The sounds of his retching had been the soundtrack to their evening ever since.

Jane came back into the bathroom, a glass of water in her hand. Benji moved aside, allowing her to pass and position herself behind Will. She coaxed his head up from its porcelain pillow and held the glass to his lips, encouraging him to drink a few sips. He shook his head but she insisted on him drinking more. Reluctantly he obeyed. She managed to get half the glass into him before he flatly refused to take anymore and retook his position lying against the toilet seat.

"At least it should be clean." Remarked Benji from where he sat on the edge of the tub.

"What should be clean?" Asked Jane as she held a cool, wet cloth to the back of Will's neck.

"The toilet. When you think of some of the places we've stayed he could be doing himself more harm than good by going beddie byes on a germ infested rim that leads to a cess pool. But because we're in quite the high class suite, not to worry." He said cheerfully.

Will groaned as he shifted slightly and moved his head off the rim of the toilet. He looked miserable as he lowered himself to the floor. Jane threw Benji an annoyed look as she picked up a towel and lifted Will's head, cushioning him against the cold hard floor with the cloth.

"Ok its sorted." Announced Ethan as he joined his team in the bathroom. "The tickets for the theatre have been changed to next week, along with the booking for the restaurant."

At the word 'restaurant' Will groaned again and attempted to raise his head back over the toilet bowl. Ethan stepped forward and hooked his hands under his armpits to lever the sick agent up.

"Sorry." He whispered in Will's ear as he began, once again, retching into the bowl.

"At least this should all be over soon." Supplied Benji helpfully.

Will looked up and attempted a smile, but gave up and laid his head back to its original place on the edge of the toilet seat. Jane leant forward and wiped his face, she rinsed out the cloth and then ran the cool fabric back over his face, under his chin, around his neck and then over his hair. Will moaned in relief as the action helped to cool his heated skin. Throwing up was definitely not on his list of fun things to do. Jane smiled, wet the cloth again and continued her ministrations.

"Will," Ethan said, shaking the agents shoulder to get his attention. "As soon as you feel up to it we'll move you to the bed. You'll be a lot more comfortable."

Will shook his head weakly. "Still throwing up." He whispered through a sore throat.

"Doesn't matter, I've brought a couple of ice buckets up so you don't need to move."

Will nodded thankfully. Not looking forward to moving but definitely looking forward to being in a bed. Especially after what Benji had helpfully mentioned about the toilet and the floor. When it seemed like he wasn't going to throw up right that minute, Ethan hooked his hands, once again, under Will's arm pits and pulled him back. The former analyst's head fell back to rest against Ethan's chest. Benji bent to pick up his legs and between them they carried the sick man into the bedroom. Lifting him gently and helping him sit up, Ethan and Benji went about getting him out of his silk suit and into a more comfortable sweat pants and T shirt. In the meantime Jane went down the hall to the vending machine to grab some lemonade and as many bottles of cool water as she could carry. She hoped the lemonade would help settle Will's stomach enough for her to coax him to drink the water. The last thing they wanted was for the agent to finally get the drug out of his system but end up in the hospital suffering from dehydration.

Will lay back with a contented sigh. He rolled gingerly onto his side facing Ethan. The older agent held up the ice buckets to reassure Will they were there. "If you wanna throw up just give me a signal."

Will nodded, his eyes closing as his body settled into the comfortable mattress.

"Much better than the floor?" Asked Benji.

"Much better."

"Cleaner too."

Will couldn't be bothered to respond. Instead he turned to glare at his friend before settling back and closing his eyes again.

Jane came back to the room to find Will almost asleep on the furthest bed from the door, Benji stretched out on the closest bed and Ethan situated in the arm chair with his feet up on Will's bed. Ethan had claimed the second bedroom, but he had a sneaking suspicion he wouldn't get to sleep in it until the following night when hopefully Will would be on the mend and well on his way back to his old self.

Jane settled on the bed next to Will, she sat on top of the covers and next to his back. Benji had hooked up his computer to the large flat screen TV that adorned the wall they were all facing. He hit a few buttons and then set the computer on the side and settled down as the credits crept across the large screen.

"Wha' we wa'ching?" Came a muffled query from underneath the covers.

"I think you'll like this Will, best to stay awake and enjoy." Had Benji's tone not been so overly happy, Will would have probably ignored the movie and allowed himself to drift off to sleep. The feel of Jane to his left side and Ethan to his right, along with Benji on his far left made him feel safe and secure, the pull of sleep seeming tempting in his cocoon of security. No mad Czech bastard was going to be able to drug him again with this team watching his back. Nope, not a chance.

Will forced his eyes open at the sound of Ethan's barely concealed snigger and Jane's giggle.

He moaned as the image on the screen came into view. "Benj, seriously?"

Benji hit the pause button before speaking. "Come on, it's a great movie. And it's relevant to recent events." Benji shrank as three sets of eyes glared at him. "Well, relatively speaking."

"Its about zombies." Protested Jane.

"They are NOT zombies." Defended Benji. "They're infected, by a man made virus. See, relevant." He smiled in his apparent victory, only to duck as Ethan threw a pillow at him. "Fine, I'll pick something else."

"Nah, leave it." Said Will as he repositioned himself to be able to see the screen better. Jane shifted, allowing him a little more room to curve forward. "I've not seen it all the way through."

"Really? Why the hell not?" Asked Benji, disgusted that someone could watch only half a movie.

"Get's a little boring after the sniper guy dies."

"It most certainly does not. Right, that's it, if you start to fall asleep after that bit I'll be holding your eyes open with my bare hands."

Ethan leaned forward and raised his eyebrows at Benji. The English agent ignored him and pressed play. Ethan settled back, allowing himself to finally relax and enjoy the company of his team without having the fear and worry that any one of them could have been the victim to the drug Brandt had been poisoned with, and the fact that it could have very easily have been a fatal drug he'd been hit with. They were finally at the end of what felt like a month's long mission. He yawned and stretched his legs out, moving quickly as Will slapped the foot away that was blocking his view of the screen.

The movie started, quiet and slow, a man and a woman in a dark kitchen, heating pasta by candlelight. Benji cracked open a bag of popcorn, Ethan munched on a bowl of nacho's, Jane had a box of chocolates, and Will? Well he had his family.

Fin.

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><p><em>See you next time x<em>


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